Where Did You See “Star Wars: A New Hope” in 1977?

On May 25, 1977, Star Wars opened with a galactic explosion. I was a newly-hired congressional assistant in Washington D.C. and joined a long line for an opening show. The theater was packed, and I ended up in the front row center.

And then the opening crawl began.

“A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away. It is a period of civil war. Rebel spaceships, striking from a hidden base, have won their first victory against the evil Galactic Empire. During the battle, Rebel spies managed to steal secret plans to the Empire’s ultimate weapon, the DEATH STAR, an armored space station with enough power to destroy an entire planet. Pursued by the Empire’s sinister agents, Princess Leia races home aboard her starship, custodian of the stolen plans that can save her people and restore freedom to the galaxy…”

As the text disappears in eternity, an Imperial Starship quietly fills the screen. In the front row, you are impressed and lean back to absorb the new world of computer animation. As soon as the show was over, around midnight, I joined the line again to see the next show.

I saw Rogue One with my grandkids Christmas weekend. It ends with a digital recreation of Princess Leia. The kids loved it. I felt we were a family on a four decade, three generation adventure.

L to R: Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher and Harrison Ford in the
Denver Post lunch room at 15th and California on June 14, 1977
Photo: Steve Larson, Denver Post

Read Denver Post: The story behind the Denver Post Star Wars photo of Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher and Harrison Ford